Color of Allah (2:138)

 

بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

Allah Most High says:

صِبۡغَۃَ اللّٰہِ ۚ وَمَنۡ اَحۡسَنُ مِنَ اللّٰہِ صِبۡغَۃً ۫ وَّنَحۡنُ لَہٗ عٰبِدُوۡنَ

The Dye of Allah! And what dye is better than that from Allah? And we are for Him worshippers

(Surah 2:138)

This blessed Ayah has several layers of meaning and significance. The commentators are generally agreed that it is referring to Religion of Allah, meaning Islam. However, the following narration from sayyidina Ibn Abbas رضى الله عنهما may indicate a theological significance for the term Sibghat Allâh

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ عَطِيَّةَ ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الدَّشْتَكِيُّ ثنا أَبِي عَنْ أَبِيهِ ثنا أَشْعَثُ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ أَبِي الْمُغِيرَةِ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ

أَنَّ بَنِيَ إِسْرَائِيلَ قَالُوا يَا مُوسَى هَلْ يَصْبُغُ رَبُّكَ قَالَ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ فَنَادَاهُ رَبُّهُ يَا مُوسَى سَأَلُوكَ هَلْ يَصْبُغُ رَبُّكَ فَقُلْ نَعَمْ أَصْبَغُ الأَلْوَانَ الأَحْمَرَ وَالأَبْيَضَ وَالأَسْوَدَ وَالأَلْوَانُ كُلُّهَا فِي صِبْغَتِي فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى نَبِيِّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ‌صِبْغَةَ ‌اللَّهِ ومن أحسن من الله صبغة و نحن لَهُ عَابِدُونَ

Sa’id bin Jubair from Ibn Abbas that the children of Israel said “O Moses, does your Lord dye?” He [Moses] said “fear Allah!” So his Lord called out to him [saying] “O Moses, do they ask you ‘does your Lord dye?’” So he [Moses] said “yes”. [Allah said] “I dye with the colors red, white and black; all the colors are in My Dye” so Allah sent down upon His Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, “The Dye of Allah, and is there more beautiful a dye than that from Allah? And we are His worshippers” (2:138)

(Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim; p.245)

The narration is a proof for the excellence of the combination of three colors; red, white and black. Incidentally, a Jewish midrash (Numbers Rabbah) states that the tribal banner of the Levites, the tribe to which Prophet Moses عليه السلام belonged, was red, white and black. It may also be said that this blessed Ayah (2:138) and the narration of Ibn Abbas رضى الله عنهما explaining it is are an indication that the Person of Allah possesses the attribute of color “Every color is in My Dye”, and that the color of Allah is better and more beautiful than any other color conceivable, for it contains all colors.